Which is Better: Cats or Dogs? : Greg Laden's Blog

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Which is Better: Cats or Dogs?

Posted on: May 9, 2009 12:47 PM, by Greg Laden

You decide:

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I prefer the cats, some of them don't have fur, I hate furry animals... give me something with scales or smooth skin any day!!

Posted by: Jared | May 9, 2009 1:28 PM

I asked some of my Korean colleagues, and they all came down on me for trying to incite a food fight.

Posted by: D. C. Sessions | May 9, 2009 1:58 PM

@D.C. - "Ugh"

Posted by: Stacy | May 9, 2009 2:02 PM

The cat video is biased.
I can make a dog ugly too by shaving it, shampooing the fur (2x) and/or mistreating it. That said they should invent a timemachine and shoot the person who started to breed those naked cats.

Posted by: Who Cares | May 9, 2009 2:19 PM

Dogs are best!!
Cats kill too many birds!

Posted by: JohnO | May 9, 2009 2:39 PM

As someone who lives with four cats and two dogs... neither is better, they're just different.

JohnO: Cats don't kill birds if you keep them inside. Dogs would cause just as much (if not more) destruction if you let them run loose in the neighborhood.

Posted by: Kaessa | May 9, 2009 3:35 PM

I can only answer half the question: dogs are better, only because you cook them in sweet, hot spice, so that the meat is tender and not stringy; sweet, and not bitter, with enough clove, cinnamon, and anise to settle the stomach afterwords...
but if I ever succeed in trapping the orange cat that is pissing in my yard, I might just feed it to the neighbors dogs.

Posted by: the real Miss Ginny | May 9, 2009 3:48 PM

"ohnO: Cats don't kill birds if you keep them inside."

How do you get ALL the birds inside?

Posted by: sailor | May 9, 2009 5:38 PM

That cat video was unfair to cats. I even think that one or two of those early pics might be GIMPed (hat tip to Open Source). Having said that, my vote is the same as last time: DOGS!!!!

I can't say that I'm happy about the conditions that that puppy was subjected to. I guess it's better than a small cage, but I suspect that that puppy has spent most of its life in a small cage and only brought into the desolate playroom for potential customers or videographers.

Posted by: The Science Pundit | May 9, 2009 6:08 PM

Wow. Way to bias a question. MY cat is cute and fuzzy; nothing at all like the cats in that video. And as I noted in the last 'cats v. dogs' thread, she never, ever barks.

As for the Welsh Corgis; they're noisy, obnoxious beasts. I know a lady who keeps four of 'em, and when they're out for a walk, they won't shut up! I'm just about ready to put Animal Control on speed dial, and have the little s.o.b.'s hauled off.

Cats get my vote. Again.

Posted by: Roadtripper | May 9, 2009 8:41 PM

I don't much like corgi dogs(though I guess they're nice en as dogs go), and I absolutely loathe these hairless "Sphynx" cats! Cats are meant to have fur! As far as those pictures are concerned, neither one is "better" than the other. And while I have more experience with cats than dogs, to the person who says "keep 'em indoors", it's better for the cat if you don't. The "bird destruction" is a problem, but more of a problem is the destruction of the environment, which czts are not responsible for.

Posted by: Anne Gilbert | May 9, 2009 9:23 PM

Yeah, totally not a fair comparison. Those cats are hideous. Positively revolting. I still maintain I like both cats and dogs, equally, but dogs win, in this round.

Posted by: Natalie | May 9, 2009 11:44 PM

Sorry dude, cats are preferable all the way. Even the hairless ones.

Dogs are like the american public, following the pack.

Cats have independence of though, unlike your average human.

Don't care if they have hair or not, they still beat out canis.

Posted by: BGT | May 9, 2009 11:48 PM

I dunno. Some Chinese Crested dogs give Sphynx cats a run for their money in the butt-ugly contest.

Posted by: D'oh! | May 10, 2009 12:47 AM

Cute puppies nicer than Devon Rex cats of any size (they look almost as bad as naked mole rats).
Furred cats nicer than all dogs, except the cutest of puppies (especially when they are asleep ... the puppies that is).
Kittens beat them all.

Posted by: Katkinkate | May 10, 2009 1:18 AM

That (the cat video) was the first thing on the internet that made me really laugh out in a very long time.

Thank you!

Posted by: cm | May 10, 2009 1:28 AM

"Oh, the videos are unfair", you whining cat lovers... Dogs rule!!

Posted by: Mankel | May 10, 2009 11:28 AM

Both - Cat's scare/eat all the gophers in my garden, dogs are unconditional companions. Always fun to watch the cat screwing with the pitbull...

Posted by: jj | May 11, 2009 1:56 PM

omg those cats in the video were soooooooooooo cute!!!

those dogs looked like shit dogs are way less loyal and get fleas and walk in your stuff and shit while cats leave you alone unless you wanna be with them they respect your authoritahh and know that your boss and i will respect u if you give me food...

Posted by: CATS RULE | May 11, 2009 8:23 PM

to the person who says "keep 'em indoors", it's better for the cat if you don't

If you want your cat to live a long and healthy life, it's better to keep them indoors. Of course, one might argue that being confined reduces a cat's quality of life, but cats that have never gone outside seem happy enough.

As for the birds, I have read studies that state predation by domestic cats does have a significant impact on bird populations, just adding to the stresses from other environmental impacts (no I don't have a reference handy - if I get around to blogging about it, I will dig one up).

Posted by: Theo Bromine | May 11, 2009 8:54 PM

But what about the question of de-clawing the cats?

Also, the "door" the cats are "in" (as in indoors) usually have windows too. He who lives with cats in doors should not cast stones unless your windows are bird-strike proofed.

Of course, a cat sitting in a window .... that could work.

Posted by: Greg Laden | May 11, 2009 9:06 PM

I vote for cats! Cats don't maul people to death.
Yes, cats catch birds, but not when they're wearing a CatBib. (www.catgoods.com)

More birds die from crashing into windows, anyway. If people would just cover their windows with Collidescape and put CatBibs on their cats we could save all the birds there are (well we'd have to stop habitat destruction too!!).

Posted by: Pearls Person | May 13, 2009 5:17 PM